A CLEVELAND Police officer has won his appeal against a conviction for assaulting his partner.

The decision to quash Kaljit Sander's appeal was made by Recorder Richard Gioserano and two magistrates at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday following a two-day appeal hearing.

The 33-year-old has always claimed he was innocent and launched the appeal to clear his name.

In October he was sentenced to 16 weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months, after his conviction for assault.

The appeal court considered live evidence from both the complainant and Mr Sander, of Tudhoe Colliery, County Durham.

Mr Sander was arrested on January 8 by Durham Police following the incident. His 26-year-old partner alleged he attacked her at her home with blows to the face after she told him she had slept with another man. The complainant's two daughters, then aged two and six, were in the house at the time.

Richard Hermann, representing Mr Sander, told the court the victim's accounts in police statements, and her evidence in court, were inconsistent and her accounts of her injuries were also different. Mr Sander also suffered injuries including a bite mark to the face, scratches on his face and three lumps on his head. The complainant said she had been defending herself.

Mr Sander, who has no previous convictions, rang the police on the evening of the incident and both he and the complainant gave a statement to them. He was then arrested. He calmly told officers at the time that if he was being arrested, he felt the complainant should be too.

He denied attacking the woman, but was found guilty after a two-day trial at Newcastle Magistrates' Court.

He was ordered to pay £250 compensation to his victim as well as £500 in prosecution costs and an £80 victim surcharge. He was also given a two-year supervision order and a two-year restraining order which barred him from having any contact with the victim.

He was suspended from his job and, following his conviction, an internal inquiry launched.